As previously announced during BlizzCon 2017, patch 7.3.5 will bring the same technology used on the Legion zones to all old world zones. In order to accomplish that, zones and dungeons received scaling levels, as we previewed in our Zone and Dungeon scaling Levels post. So today we will focus on the other aspects that Blizzard is introducing together with that technology, features that will likely change leveling completely from what we have today.

Zone Scaling

As previewed in our Zone and Dungeon scaling Levels post, all zones before Legion were updated with new level ranges, in order to accomodate better players for a longer time, allowing players to complete the zone stories while leveling, or level with a friend in a complete new zone. As a thumb rule, all zones keep a similar to current minimum level, but now scale to their maximum expansion bracket.

Recruitment Boards

In order to support those changes to all players, new Recruitment Boards were added in all capital cities, with similar layouts as the Artifact Weapons used, helping to guide players to a new zone if they so desire.

Experience Increases

With all the changes to zones, Blizzard took the liberty to review some of the other leveling aspects, like Experience required. The changes were made in the range of level 10-60 only, with a peak of 60% increase between level 20 and level 40. You can see the charted difference below.

Level

Live

PTR

Diff%

1

400

400

0%

2

900

900

0%

3

1400

1400

0%

4

2100

2100

0%

5

2800

2800

0%

6

3800

3800

0%

7

5000

5000

0%

8

6400

6400

0%

9

8100

8100

0%

10

8800

9240

5%

11

9800

10780

10%

12

11500

13225

15%

13

14000

16800

20%

14

16300

20375

25%

15

18800

24440

30%

16

20800

28080

35%

17

22500

31500

40%

18

24000

34800

45%

19

25700

38550

50%

20

27300

42315

55%

21

29100

46560

60%

22

30900

49440

60%

23

32500

52000

60%

24

34400

55040

60%

25

36500

58400

60%

26

38200

61120

60%

27

40100

64160

60%

28

41800

66880

60%

29

44800

71680

60%

30

47600

76160

60%

31

50900

81440

60%

32

53500

85600

60%

33

56400

90240

60%

34

59100

94560

60%

35

62000

99200

60%

36

65100

104160

60%

37

67800

108480

60%

38

70800

113280

60%

39

73700

117920

60%

40

95700

133980

40%

41

99500

139300

40%

42

103300

144620

40%

43

107000

149800

40%

44

110800

155120

40%

45

114700

160580

40%

46

118500

165900

40%

47

122400

171360

40%

48

126300

176820

40%

49

130200

182280

40%

50

134300

188020

40%

51

138300

193620

40%

52

142400

199360

40%

53

146500

205100

40%

54

150500

210700

40%

55

154700

216580

40%

56

158900

222460

40%

57

163200

228480

40%

58

167300

234220

40%

59

171700

240380

40%

60

254000

254000

0%

61

275000

275000

0%

62

301000

301000

0%

63

328000

328000

0%

64

359000

359000

0%

65

367000

367000

0%

66

374000

374000

0%

67

381000

381000

0%

68

388000

388000

0%

69

395000

395000

0%

70

405000

405000

0%

71

415000

415000

0%

72

422000

422000

0%

73

427000

427000

0%

74

432000

432000

0%

75

438000

438000

0%

76

445000

445000

0%

77

455000

455000

0%

78

462000

462000

0%

79

474000

474000

0%

80

482000

482000

0%

81

487000

487000

0%

82

492000

492000

0%

83

497000

497000

0%

84

506000

506000

0%

85

517000

517000

0%

86

545000

545000

0%

87

550000

550000

0%

88

556000

556000

0%

89

562000

562000

0%

90

596000

596000

0%

91

603000

603000

0%

92

608000

608000

0%

93

614000

614000

0%

94

621000

621000

0%

95

627000

627000

0%

96

632000

632000

0%

97

639000

639000

0%

98

645000

645000

0%

99

651000

651000

0%

100

657000

657000

0%

101

663000

663000

0%

102

669000

669000

0%

103

675000

675000

0%

104

681000

681000

0%

105

687000

687000

0%

106

693000

693000

0%

107

699000

699000

0%

108

705000

705000

0%

109

711000

711000

0%

110

717000

717000

0%

111

717000

717000

0%

112

717000

717000

0%

113

717000

717000

0%

114

717000

717000

0%

115

717000

717000

0%

116

717000

717000

0%

117

717000

717000

0%

118

717000

717000

0%

119

717000

717000

0%

120

717000

717000

0%

121

717000

717000

0%

122

717000

717000

0%

123

717000

717000

0

While overall the changes seem steep, there may be other changes to XP rewarded from quests as well as NPCs. This requires more testing.

Health Pool Increases

To counter balance the increase of experience, however, the health pool from mobs at all levels has been increased considerably, making you less likely to be able to 1-shot mobs while leveling, even with the best gear available, as you can see below:

Live

PTR

We still don't have access to all the new PTR data, so meanwhile we only have select examples for that changes.

Heirloom Nerfs

One of the biggest tools that made leveling easier in the past were heirlooms. For that sole reason, they couldn't escape from this round of balance. Heirlooms still retain their increased experience bonus, but their stats have been lowered, specially at lower item levels.

Live

PTR

Live

PTR

Flying Changes

Last, but not least, flying. With all those changes, many people got curious about what would happen with flying, since it has so many variables, like Volo in Ambienti Gelidi and Saggezza dei Quattro Venti. Users in the official forums discovered that those special flying restrictions are gone! Which means that any character that acquires Esperto in Equitazione or above will be able to fly in any continent that doesn't have a Pathfinder achievement related, restrictions still apply to them.

What do you think about the overall leveling changes? Will leveling be faster or slower now? Let us know in the comments below!

Commenti

Commento di Lostartes

on 2017-12-04T21:14:49-06:00

Higher health mobs? Heirlooms with less stats? Let the whiners whine I say! This is going to be much more fun then simply "go to area a, 1-3 shot mobs, turn in". Now you will really need to work for it! Also flying unlocked in all zones that don't need pathfinder? Please and thank you!

Commento di SilasKashmir

on 2017-12-04T21:17:44-06:00

What about flying speed increases (the ones purchased at level 70 for 280% speed, and level 80 for 310% speed)? I'm assuming those are still in place, since those aren't specific to one group of zones or another unlike Wisdom of the Four Winds or Cold Weather Flying?

Commento di Verzo

on 2017-12-04T21:17:45-06:00

excited about increased health pools!

Commento di Quass

on 2017-12-04T21:19:10-06:00

Good changes. Questing & low level dungeons are much more enjoyable from what I've seen on the PTR.

Commento di chriswagie

on 2017-12-04T21:21:53-06:00

About *!@#ing time. It was so dumb going around elewyn forest one shotting mobs with shadow word pain.

Commento di Sckhar

on 2017-12-04T21:22:06-06:00

Except for the heirloom nerfs (which bothers me a bit but not that much tbh) the rest is pretty neat imo.

Commento di Kekt0nic

on 2017-12-04T21:22:30-06:00

Yeah because when you already have 120 levels in your game the thing you should do is obviously make it more tedious to get caught up to speed.

Commento di mysticalos

on 2017-12-04T21:24:44-06:00

Higher health mobs? Heirlooms with less stats? Let the whiners whine I say! This is going to be much more fun then simply "go to area a, 1-3 shot mobs, turn in". Now you will really need to work for it! Also flying unlocked in all zones that don't need pathfinder? Please and thank you!

The concern about health increases is those leveling without heirlooms are gonna really feel it. first timers, etc.

I feel like they are making changes around heirlooms trivializing leveling so much. but it's concerning what's going to happen for new players. It won't be hard but it might be annoying enough to turn them off.

Commento di Gabylp

on 2017-12-04T21:27:12-06:00

With the iLvl of heirlooms being the same on live and PTR I wonder if the nerf is exclusive to heirlooms or to all items at these iLvls.

Commento di offspinner

on 2017-12-04T21:29:14-06:00

On the one hand: higher levelling trash health (yawn). One the other: increased xp gains (ok). It'll be interesting to see how this balances out.

(And if you really love levelling, and want it to be as slow and tedious as possible - and why wouldn't you? - don't forget there are NPCs in your major capital that allow you to turn xp gains off. Then you can spend months running around in the Barrens at the giddy heights of level 15, as happy as a pig in the proverbial).

Commento di Schikatu

on 2017-12-04T21:29:30-06:00

Those changes are awesome.

Except for the Heirlooms, there is a reason people want Heirlooms to be strong, I bought them because I did all the zones and their stories multiple times already and want to get to the end level as fast as possible.

Commento di greekryan

on 2017-12-04T21:29:36-06:00

I'm confused...so levelling will take longer once 7.3.5 goes live?

Commento di Syward

on 2017-12-04T21:41:10-06:00

Glad I'm done leveling my toons.

Commento di Gammageddeon

on 2017-12-04T21:42:18-06:00

Yeah because when you already have 120 levels in your game the thing you should do is obviously make it more tedious to get caught up to speed.

That’s why they added things like boosts into the game.What’s the point in playing a game that hands you everything?In fact, the scaling actually makes things LESS tedious. No more having to move from one zone to another after 5 quests, or just spamming dungeons. This makes the leveling process more enjoyable.

Commento di sadistic12345

on 2017-12-04T21:49:02-06:00

hahahah happy leveling good luck see you at max

Commento di Rybat117

on 2017-12-04T21:52:52-06:00

Really great to see a leveling overhaul like this, I think it will help the new player experience in unbelievable ways. The increased health is especially awesome; much needed stuff happening here!

Commento di Balgair

on 2017-12-04T21:55:22-06:00

Sounds great, I might actually enjoy levelling again when this hits. I used to love it, but there's nothing more tedious than twoshotting everything and having mobs go grey halfway through a zone, maybe my lowbie alts will start levelling again now!

Commento di WrastlinAminals

on 2017-12-04T21:55:44-06:00

I'm confused...so levelling will take longer once 7.3.5 goes live?

Sorta. It'll feel longer because you will actually have to use your abilities more than once now to kill enemies. And now as reported a nerf to heirloom stats (str, agil, intel, etc).

Commento di moosecat11

on 2017-12-04T21:58:50-06:00

Those changes are awesome.

Except for the Heirlooms, there is a reason people want Heirlooms to be strong, I bought them because I did all the zones and their stories multiple times already and want to get to the end level as fast as possible.

I'm curious how much the stat reduction will effect them. Currently they're quite a lot better than gear of the same level. I wonder if this brings them more in line?

For me, I enjoy the leveling experience, so I'm happy with it becoming slower even with heirlooms. If I really want a high level fast, I will go ahead and boost. It's the cost of one console/PC game, or a few hours of salary for something that typically takes me more hours to accomplish. I'm fine with this, though I've yet to buy a boost myself other than those that came with the expansions.